Elizabeth Connors
N262 North Business Complex
Department of Accounting and Information Systems
Michigan State University
632 Bogue Street
East Lansing, MI 48824
Education
MichiganStateUniversity: Ph.D. Accounting, 2004.
University of Massachusetts, Amherst: M.S. Accounting, 1989.
MountHolyokeCollege: B. A. Politics, 1981.
Academic Employment
2012-Assistant Professor, Michigan State University
2010-2012Visiting Asst. Prof., Northeastern University
2005-2010 Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts, Boston
2003-2005Adjunct Professor, Northeastern University
2001-2003Assistant Professor, Suffolk University
2000Lecturer, Albion College
1993-1999Graduate Assistant, Michigan State University
1993, 1988-1990Graduate Assistant and Lecturer, University of Massachusetts
1990-1992Tax Accountant, Price Waterhouse, Boston
Honors and Awards
University of MassachusettsBoston, CM Faculty Scholarship Award, 2008
Lean Accounting Summit Faculty-Student Scholarship, 2008
MichiganStateUniversity Doctoral Fellowship, 1993-1998.
Big Ten Doctoral Consortium Representative, 1996.
Michigan State University Department of Accounting Doctoral Teaching Award, 1996.
University of Massachusetts M.S. in Accounting Award, 1988.
Publications
Connors, E. 2015. Coal-ash management by U.S. electric utilities: Overview and recent developments. Utility Policy 34: 30-33.
Connors, E., Johnston, H. H. and L. S. Gao. 2013. The Information Value of the Toxics Release Inventory Performance. Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal 4 (1): 32-55.
Connors, E. and L. S. Gao. 2011. Corporate Environmental Performance, Disclosure and Leverage: An Integrated Approach. International Review of Accounting,Banking and Finance1 (3).
Connors, E. and L. S. Gao, 2010. The Impact of Environmental Performance on the Capital Structure of Firms. Proceedings of the Northeast Business and Economics Association, 2010.
Working Papers
Voluntary Environmental Disclosures in 10-Ks and Environmental Reports: Determinants and Relationship to Firm Risk Premium. 2015. (with Holly H. Johnston). Target:Accounting, Organizations and Society
Activity-Based Costing at Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc. 2013. (with Holly H. Johnston). Target: Journal of Accounting Education.
Research in Progress
Market Responses to Coal-Ash Events: By-Products as Liabilities . 2015.
An Inconvenient Disclosure, 2015 (with Andrew Acito, Matthew DeAngelis, and Kathy Petroni).
Conference Presentations
“Voluntary Environmental Disclosures in 10-Ks and Environmental Reports: Determinants and Relationship to Firm Risk Premium”Alliance for Research on Corporate Responsibility (ARCS) Conference, University of California at Berkeley, April 2013. (Presenter)
“The Information Value of the Toxics Release Inventory Performance”2012 National TRI Training Conference, Washington D.C., April 2012 and Alliance for Research on Corporate Responsibility (ARCS) Conference, Yale University, May 2012. (Presenter for each)
“Corporate Environmental Performance, Disclosure and Leverage: An Integrated Approach” Alliance for Research on Corporate Responsibility (ARCS) Conference, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, May 2011 and AAA Northeast Regional Meeting, October 2011. (Presenter for each)
“The Market Value and Disclosure of Corporate Environmental Risk”, Eastern Finance Association Meeting, April 2011. (Co-author).
“The Value of the Toxic Release Inventory as a Measure of Corporate Environmental Performance”, American Accounting Association Northeast Regional Meeting, October 2010 (Presenter).
“The Impact of Environmental Performance on the Capital Structure of Firms”, Northeast Business and Economics Association, September 2010 (Co-author).
“Environmental Performance, Undisclosed Environmental Liabilities and the Capital Structure of Firms” Eastern Finance Association Meeting, April 2010(Co-author).
“The Impact of Environmental Risk on The Cost of Equity Capital: Evidence from the Toxics Release Inventory”, Financial Management Association Annual Meeting, October 2009 (Co-author).
“Corporate Environmental Performance and the Cost of Capital”, MBAA International/Academy of Finance Annual Meeting, March 2009 (Co-author).
Ad Hoc Reviewer
Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, 2014 and 2015
Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability Conference, 2014 and 2015
Journal of Accounting Information Systems, 2007 and 2008
American Accounting Association Northeast Regional Meeting, 2004 – 2008, 2010-2011
Professional Service
Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, standard setting working groups for electric utility and chemical sectors, 2014 and 2015
AAA Distinguished contribution to Accounting Literature Award Selection Committee, 2009-2010
Discussant, REA-25 Accounting Information Systems Conference, 2006
Discussant, American Accounting Association Northeast Regional Meeting, 2010
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